Red Bull has confirmed that Yuki Tsunoda will replace Liam Lawson from the Japanese Grand Prix onwards following a challenging start to the Formula 1 season.
Lawson, who struggled in the opening two races in Melbourne and Shanghai, faced a retirement in the season opener before finishing 12th in the Chinese Grand Prix.
With Red Bull eager to extract maximum performance from their second car to support reigning world champion Max Verstappen in the team standings, the pressure was mounting on the young New Zealander.
Lawson had initially impressed when he stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo at the then-named RB team during the latter part of 2024.
His strong performances led to his promotion to Red Bull as Verstappen’s teammate for the 2025 season, following Sergio Perez’s departure. However, speculation quickly arose that he could be replaced as early as Round 3 in Japan.
Now, it has been confirmed that Tsunoda will take over Lawson’s seat when Formula 1 returns to Suzuka from 4-6 April. Lawson will return to the Racing Bulls squad, where he will partner rookie Isack Hadjar for the remainder of the season.
Having made his debut with AlphaTauri in 2021, Tsunoda has continued to develop, consistently outscoring his teammates, including Nyck de Vries and Daniel Ricciardo. The Japanese driver hailed his 2024 campaign as one of his best, having contributed 30 of his team’s 46 points that season.
Tsunoda’s progress was further highlighted when he made his test debut for Red Bull at the post-season session in Abu Dhabi. However, despite his strong performance, Red Bull opted to promote Lawson instead for the 2025 season. At the time, Tsunoda expressed his understanding of the decision, stating that he did not feel “super angry or disappointed.”
With Lawson’s tenure at Red Bull ending after just two races, Tsunoda now has the opportunity to race alongside Verstappen at the championship-winning team, starting with his home Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Laurent Mekies, Team Principal of Racing Bulls, expressed his pride in Tsunoda’s promotion.
“We’re incredibly proud of Yuki earning his well-deserved move to Oracle Red Bull Racing! His progress last year, and more recently at the start of 2025, has been nothing short of sensational.
“Personally, and collectively, it has been an immense privilege to witness that growth. Yuki’s energy and positivity have brightened every corner of our factories and our garage, and he will always be a Racing Bull! We wish him all the success he deserves at ORBR.
“Everyone here at VCARB is looking forward to working with Liam to give him the best environment to shine. He fit in so well last year, and we cannot wait to challenge ourselves and grow as a team. With Isack already making a strong start, we know we have a young and promising line-up.”
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